


north star

by skittykitty



Series: New Beginnings [3]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Clay | Dream & Technoblade Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Codependency, Dimension Travel, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Self-Worth Issues, Symbolism, Trust Issues, dreams love language is gift giving, i dont think anyones commented on it yet, techno is the entirety of what pushes Dream to be a better person, tell me if I missed any tags, theres so much symbolism in this series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:07:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29634387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skittykitty/pseuds/skittykitty
Summary: Dream visits Tommy in Logstedshire while Techno reaches out to a friend.(A dog bitten once won’t ask for food again.)
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: New Beginnings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2142408
Comments: 33
Kudos: 141





	north star

**Author's Note:**

> haha oh my god my playlist for this fic and it’s so oddly specific (feel free to ask about it if you want). Thank you [Cultivation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cultivation/pseuds/Cultivation) for betaing this!!

His hands pulled at the fabric, desperately trying to dye cloth. His skin was covered in blue dye as Techno struggled to do something between finger-painting and art. 

It was a mess, as most things were.

Dream stood in the back of the room, sharpening his sword in silence. It was odd, wasn’t it? His friend had always used an axe before all of this. The sword had always been Technoblade’s weapon.

“Do you think this looks right?” Dream looked up, taking a moment to stare at his…  _ art _ . He stood up, walking closer. 

Tilting his head to the side, Dream sighed. “I… have no idea what this is.”

Techno gasped, something between betrayed and amused. “Obviously, it’s a white sun on a blue background!” 

“Well then, why do I see a white orange over a blue background?” He groaned, laying himself back onto the ground. Was he even remembering that old flag correctly? Probably not! “What is it, anyway?”

_ This is for Phil,  _ he would’ve said in another time— a time when he could trust the masked man. “Oh, just trying to remember an old flag I made.” Techno smiled, something distinctly  _ false  _ brewing under his skin.

The other sighed. “Well, I’ll be heading out soon. Don’t get into trouble. And, uh, if you do” — he placed the sword he had been sharpening over Techno’s knees— “this is yours. Be safe, Techno.”

He smiled, terror closing his throat. This… had to be a threat. After the axe, after the golden chestplate,— after all the gifts Dream had given him— why were they all weapons? Was he going to test him, like their training?

What did Dream  _ want from him? _

“Have a good trip.” Techno waved goodbye as he crawled out of the house. His hand gripped the sword, hoping it would break in his grip. (Hoping he could destroy everything that Dream gave him.) 

He was alone.

He had never been alone. Even during those hours by the van, Dream had been expecting him— he was not allowed to move, let alone leave.

Now… he could leave if he wanted to. He could run out into the woods— he would never have to see Dream again.

He chuckled mirthlessly. God, what a fantasy. 

Dream was his only chance of living through this— of escaping this place before… before the others would find him. The knowledge of the script was almost a curse. 

Knowing that Quackity would lead a group to kill him. Knowing he didn’t have the supplies to survive that.

Wondering  _ do I have any canon lives? _

The sword dropped from his grip as he turned back to the drawing he had been working on. It would be fine.

Techno would finally be able to trust someone.

* * *

There were definitely easier ways to get to Logstedshire. Trident, ender pearls, even swimming might be faster. But, that didn’t matter— not really. Boating was effective _enough_ ; it would get him where he needed to be.

He needed time to think— think of what he would do when he saw Tommy… how he would begin the harsh road of being  _ better.  _

Dream couldn’t afford to allow him weapons, but he could allow him iron armor? Maybe he could get someone to visit while he was gone?

Tommy… was a variable he could never predict. He saw what Dream wanted and purposely did the  _ opposite.  _ At least Tubbo was controllable— even with a position of power, he still bowed to him.

Dream still ruled the server. Tommy just had to learn that lesson, but... it didn’t have to be  _ this _ harsh, did it?

_ What would Techno think?  _

Would he destroy everything he had ever given him, burn down their house—  _ would he abandon him? _

Would Techno just be another memory of a friend?

No, no, no— Dream wouldn’t allow it. He would make sure he stayed. 

He needed Techno.

(Even if he knew no one else wanted him around.)

* * *

It was done—  _ finally.  _ Creating the banner had taken far too long, with far too many mess-ups. 

Now… now, it was time to gain a friend. Time to see Phil, show him the flag, and… finally, be able to trust someone. This version of Phil trusted Techno, but he would never accept him. Never see  _ Technoblade, the warrior,  _ in him. 

He might even kill him.

Techno would have to go as Damon, as much as that name  _ hurt.  _ It was the whisper of  _ trust me.  _ It was the implication of  _ we will be Damon and Pythias.  _

It was how fake Dream felt.

The flag wasn’t fake.

(But neither was the axe, or the sword, or the golden chest plate protecting his heart.)

Dream had left the house during the morning. Techno squinted at the path, the sun shining over the hill. He kept his head down, eyes stinging. Dream had given him so much. So much that he would never be able to pay back.

_ A favor between Technoblade and Dream. _

Fate seemed to love keeping to the script. He hadn’t seen Tommy yet,— he was probably exiled— and the execution hadn’t happened yet.

Tubbo and Dream were the only people who knew his identity. 

It would have to stay that way.

He smiled softly at the sight of L’Manberg, heading straight to Phil’s house.

* * *

Tommy didn’t notice him at first. The kid sat on the side of the beach, staring at a compass. The sound of waves crashing onto the sand overpowered his footsteps until he was steps away from him. 

“Tommy?” He jumped up, tucking the compass under his armor. Iron armor— Tommy was in  _ exile.  _ He wasn’t allowed weapons or armor. But, it was only  _ iron. _

“What? What now,  _ Dream.”  _ Tommy spat out his name, hatred burning in his eyes. “What are you going to do now? Burn my armor again? Oh, you think you’re so—”

“No,” Dream muttered, unintentionally softening his voice. “Not today. You can keep your armor.”  _ Don't let me take it away, fight like you always do. _

“What?” Tommy backed towards the ocean. “You don’t mean that...”

“I do.”

“Well,” Tommy began taking off his armor one at a time. “What will you do now? You say that— you  _ say _ that you won’t burn my armor, so  _ prove it.” _

Tommy didn’t need armor in exile. He knew that, yet he always obtained it anyway.  _ Why?  _ Dream had hurt him, brought him to tears countless times. Why did he refuse to  _ learn? _

“I didn’t bring any TNT today, Tommy.” Dream smiled, watching Tommy scream and wail. He’d learn soon enough. “Pick your armor back up.”

Tommy clenched his fists, picking them up with a grimace. He walked over to where he set up the beach party. 

A plan was beginning to take root.

“Hey, Tommy, has Wilbur left with the invites yet?”

* * *

Techno stood outside the door, hoping desperately to find the push to enter. Phil wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. Phil would accept him with open arms, as always. 

Phil was a home away from home.

“Just come in!” Phil called from inside. Looking over, Techno saw him standing by a window.

Oh.

With a soft chuckle, he entered the house. Phil stared at him, something sharp and almost dangerous in his eyes. “Who are you?”

His hand— long dyed blue— clenched around the paper. God, it all counted on this. “I’m Damon.” He held out the paper, an illustration of what he could remember of the Antarctic Empire’s flag. “And… Techno sent me here.”

_ Bring me in,  _ he thought.  _ Let me finally be safe here. _

“No,” Phil muttered, staring at the paper. He reached out slowly, hesitatingly. His friend looked up at him, eyes dragging across his armor. They stayed on his hand for a moment before making eye contact. “Techno didn’t make this. Why do you want me to trust you  _ so much?” _

Techno smiled, something broken in his eyes. “I just… want to feel safe again.”

Phil chuckled mirthlessly. “We all do. Try again.”

“I…”  _ I don’t want to have to depend on Dream.  _ “I…”

“What?” Phil stepped towards him, anger igniting in his eyes. “You wanted to play with my emotions? Make me think  _ maybe—  _ just maybe, that my best friend was in danger?”

No— this wasn’t right.

“I didn’t mean to—”

Phil’s hand tightened around the paper.

“You didn’t mean to do  _ anything,  _ did you?” Phil scoffed. “Get out of my house.”

* * *

One good thing for a lifetime of pain. Letting Tommy keep his armor wasn’t really a good thing, was it? He would just get rid of it later. 

But this?

This had to be a good thing.

“Here.” Dream handed over an invitation to Ranboo. Hopefully, Tommy would be happier after this. “For Tommy’s beach party. He’d like it if you came.”

He left quickly, heading off to Tubbo’s house. The town was dead silent. It was a stark difference to Logstedshire, filled with a cacophony of noise. L’Manberg was almost dead.

As he walked through L’Manberg, he began to hear a whisper of noise. A whisper of  _ why did I do that.  _ Sobs from a very familiar voice.

Techno was sobbing, in viewpoint of the town square. A hand was tangled in his hair, the other wrapped around his knees. 

“Techno?” He flinched, red-rimmed eyes rising to glare at him. His friend obviously wanted him gone. Dream had already done so much, shouldn’t he comfort his friend? “What’s wrong?”

“Doesn't matter.”

Dream hummed, a whisper of a smile on his face. “I think it does.” 

Techno looked away from him, toward the town square. “I… believed in the  _ wrong _ person. They disappointed me, but…” He looked up towards Dream, making eye contact. There was a hint of anger in his voice. “Maybe, it was my fault for believing in them.”

Everything was pointing at Techno being disappointed by  _ him—  _ the eye contact, the anger in his voice. But… no. He hadn’t seen Techno all day. 

Who had upset him then?

Ranboo and Phil were the closest, but Techno could’ve walked far away before breaking down. It was obvious his friend didn’t want to talk about it, so he would respect it.

(Dream still planned for what he would do if he found out who had caused this. Backup plans were always a good thing.) 

“Do you want to join me? I’m giving Tubbo a letter.”

Techno smiled. “Who’s the letter from?”

He helped his friend up to his feet, smiling widely. “Well, that’s just the thing!”

They continued to talk the night away. Dream watched happily as Techno’s tear marks faded. It was nice to make his friend feel happy.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! You can find me on my [tumblr](https://skitter-kitteruwu.tumblr.com/) where you can pester me to finish half-thought out ideas and scream to me about fics!!  
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